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Feeding RAW / bacteria

We are getting our cavalier in a few short months. Yay! Anyway, we've already decided we want to feed our cavalier raw, but I'm nervous about the bacteria from the raw meats getting us sick. Especially with bones, which I'd assume the cavalier would want to carry around or play with a bit.

I imagine it's only a matter of training your cavalier so its eating habits don't get bacteria all over the house, but I'd love to hear what raw feeders do to help keep this risk down.

On a side note, why do all the commercial raw dog foods have to be organic and free range? I don't even eat this myself!

Congrats on the news of getting a new puppy! How exciting There's actually a raw feeders forum on this site that you can join too if you're intersted in talking to other cav owners that feed this way...

My boys eat raw and they are trained to eat on separate towels so they do not get their raw meat/bones on the floor, rugs, etc. The towels they eat their "whole" raw meat/bones (chicken wings/necks, lamb riblets, etc) on in the evening are washed after each use. They also wear snoods to keep their ears clean. They do not play with the bones they're eating, I think they just look at them as food...they have pre-made raw and tripe in the morning, and they eat their breakfast on disposable paper plates. I'm usually rushed in the morning so I find disposable paper plates more convenient. If your puppy will be eating out of a bowl it should be a stainless steal bowl that is washed with hot soapy water between meals for sanitary reasons.

I don't think all commercial raw foods are organic/free range, but I know that Primal is...I feed mine the Primal pre-made raw and they love it. I like the fact that the fruits/veggies are organic but it's not crucial to me...I try to eat organic fruits/veggies too but that doesn't always happen either, so I'm sure the dogs will be fine

Good luck with the new puppy, can't wait to see pictures!

Carrie - Mom to my boys, Miles (a Ruby born 4/15/07) and Truman (a B&T born 11/28/07) and my girls, cats Hailey and Kayla (born @ 4/15/04 - they were found as strays )

Hygiene is really important in choosing to feed raw and I'd certainly not allow a dog to carry raw bones around the house. There are generally two types of raw bones fed anyway -- the type that are eaten then and there, and the type that are gnawed like marrowbones. Marrowbones would be an outdoor treat, not an indoor chew to carry around.

Just be sure you read thoroughly on the subject. Not all who feed raw choose to give bones because as with many choices people make with dog care, there are some attached risks. Some grind the bones or buy raw that has this done, or choose to feed raw mixes but do not give raw meaty bones. Some are comfortable feeding regular bones. Some feed occasional but not regular RMBs.

It is good to read widely on the subject and make your decisions on feeding raw, feeding RMBs, or both, based on where your own comfort zone is.

our raw feed time is on ceramic plates, and then on a blanket on our carpet. They know to eat on the blanket - but did take some of us telling to make sure they stay on it.

Mostly, I use a meat cleaver and concentrate to cut my wings and necks into about 3cm long sections (and not my fingers)- this is small enough to reduce choking risks and bowel blockages, but big enough to encourage self teeth cleaning. I find that if I leave whole chicken wings - then our lot walk off with a piece of meaty bone and try to get onto the settee!!!

mince/veggie mush tends to get spread more on the blanket as it is on a low sided plate. You might find it better on a steeper sided dish - but ours find it easier to eat this way.

I have a separate chopping board for the pack.

Concentrate on your cleaning of hands.

a hard kitchen floor would help for eating and cleaning up on.

Can't say that I give them all organic - but this "New" "old" way would be preferable to putting all those chemicals on things you or they eat..

Congrats on the news of getting a new puppy! How exciting There's actually a raw feeders forum on this site that you can join too if you're intersted in talking to other cav owners that feed this way...

My boys eat raw and they are trained to eat on separate towels so they do not get their raw meat/bones on the floor, rugs, etc. The towels they eat their "whole" raw meat/bones (chicken wings/necks, lamb riblets, etc) on in the evening are washed after each use. They also wear snoods to keep their ears clean. They do not play with the bones they're eating, I think they just look at them as food...they have pre-made raw and tripe in the morning, and they eat their breakfast on disposable paper plates. I'm usually rushed in the morning so I find disposable paper plates more convenient. If your puppy will be eating out of a bowl it should be a stainless steal bowl that is washed with hot soapy water between meals for sanitary reasons.

I don't think all commercial raw foods are organic/free range, but I know that Primal is...I feed mine the Primal pre-made raw and they love it. I like the fact that the fruits/veggies are organic but it's not crucial to me...I try to eat organic fruits/veggies too but that doesn't always happen either, so I'm sure the dogs will be fine

Good luck with the new puppy, can't wait to see pictures!

Thanks for your answers! I was looking at the Primal foods earlier today. Isn't that basically just a frozen chunk of ground meats + veggies, or do you give the wings, necks etc in addition to this?

I feed Primal and don't feed bones separately. They get plenty of other chewies (flossies, texas toothpicks, etc.). Shelby cannot be trusted with bones, she will choke. Occasionally I give marrow bones. I put a towel in their crate, put their snoods on and then let them go to town. Snoods and towels then go in the washing machine.

My pups eat raw-meaty-bones on their designated dinner towels on a ceramic tile (easy to clean) floor. It didn't take long at all, maybe 2 meals, to teach them to eat on their towels only. Winston always wears a snood to keep the ears clean, the towels are washed when they get crusty, and of course always follow proper food handling procedures when preparing their meals. We've (humans and dogs) have been happy and healthy with this for a year or so now.

As Karlin said, there are different types of bones. The type most often fed in a prey-model raw diet are edible bones...there's no carrying around the house to chew...they are wrapped in meaty meat and eaten along with everything else. For a cavalier this would be chicken bones, turkey necks, and some pork or lamb neck bones.